The interest in a medical mattress for immobilized patients is known. It must allow the patient to remain in a prone position in the best conditions of comfort and hygiene.
As much as possible, it must avoid the formation of bedsores by adapting itself to the body of the patient in such a manner as to present a maximal support surface.
For certain bedridden incontinent patients, the mattress must allow for the evacuation of solid and liquid dejecta and facilitate cleansing.
In the area of comfort, to assure a high support surface, it is very natural to resort to mattresses of the hydraulic type, the mattress itself constituting a reservoir of heated and regulated water. One can cite couches or beds using these principles (patents U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,598 and CH-551,173). Sometimes, the comfort is achieved by controlling the environment, such as using devices assuring a vibratory motion of the water contained in the mattress (U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,215). Sometimes, these particularly comfortable mattresses are not adapted to patients immobilized on their beds. It is one of the reasons for which mattresses or specific devices have been conceived and realized. Most often, they use a case and a reception basin of the dejecta and soiled fluids, which slides in the case (patent FR-A-2,087,040 and CH-259,604).
These mattresses or these devices are not particularly comfortable and do not prevent bedsores.
Although it may appear logical to combine the comfort of a hydraulic mattress with a device allowing the evacuation of the dejecta and soiled fluids, few implementations have resolved the problems posed. One can cite in this area a mattress comprising transverse cushions whose central cushion comprises a cavity to collect and evacuation the dejecta (patent FR-A-932,263). A mattress implementing two air and water circuits whose water portion is removable ensures a good comfort to the bedridden patient and, at the same time, facilitates his hygiene (patent FR-A-2,626,467).
Although this last-mentioned mattress addresses to a great extent the known problems, its use is delicate because it comprises the implementation of two fluid systems, air and water. Its use, in private homes as well as in the hospital environment, lacks simplicity. Moreover, if it is a clear improvement with respect to the existing mattresses and devices, it does not completely prevent bedsores.
For the following reasons, the medical mattress for patients bedridden for long periods, or for incontinent bedridden patients must not only be comfortable and avoid bedsores while allowing a hygiene close to that of normal life, but it must, in conception, be robust and simple in its implementation and use by nonspecialized personnel.